


I'm just waiting for you

by legcabbage



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Post-Break Up, Squint for hyewon, and heres my contribution, i wont spoil with the tags, i wont spoil with the tags lmao, side lipsoul, squint for chuuves, we need more yeorry fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25553509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legcabbage/pseuds/legcabbage
Summary: Yeojin hopes for a lot of things. Yeojin hopes to go back to Choerry.And she has, but she never does.
Relationships: Choi Yerim | Choerry/Im Yeojin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 67





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I know i should be updating Shot Clock but i was playing where you at on repeat and ended up coming up with this story aha haa. So theres parts of the lyrics of the song in this story.  
> Hope is the underlying message throughout the story btw  
> fyi the summary has a double meaning.

Yeojin’s footsteps come to a halt by the wooden stairs that lead to the vast sandy area of the beach. The ocean waves wash up onto the sand and slowly retreat back. The sounds of waters splashing against the rocks were the only sounds filling the area as the place was vacant, clear of no pedestrians considering the sun disappeared behind the horizons just a few hours ago and the moon took its place in the dark sky. 

She took a deep breath, inhaling the cold salty air that was so familiar to her despite being away for so long. A scent engraved into her system with the amount of times she came to this place in the past. 

Many times with a certain someone. A certain someone who she sees just a couple feet away sitting on a bench—their bench— with her back facing her. 

Yeojin felt her breath hitch and a lump formed in her throat. Her hands started to sweat despite the cold air that was blowing past her. 

She was close to changing her mind and thought about turning on her heels to catch the next train and run away. But she stayed rooted to her spot. 

No. No more running away. She needed to talk to her. 

Clenching her hands into a tight fist in the pockets of her jacket and releasing a nervous shaky breath, Yeojin brought a foot in front of the other until she finally made her way through the sand. 

With every step she made, the sand crunching beneath her worn up Converses, she could begin to make out the other girl's figure. Even with her back facing towards her, Yeojin knows she still looks beautiful. She always has been.

Her once bright and vibrant purple hair has faded into a dull hue, fading, with the tips of her hair almost blonde and her natural hair peeking out at the roots. The fair complexion of her smooth skin was almost transparent, yet still glowed under the one light provided by the lamp post nearby. Yeojin was hesitant to bring a hand forward to hold her, touch her, but the fear of her slipping right through her fingers again overpowered her desire, so she kept her hands in the confinements of her pockets. 

From where Yeojin stands now, she could see the slope of her nose and the outline of her prominent jawline. Chiseled to perfection like it was created by the gods yet her cheeks were still round and full that gave her that youthful innocence. There was even a small freckle above her right eye, just barely noticeable but still present if you stared at her long enough and skin was like porcelain; pale and clear. It was like nothing changed. 

But it has. 

“I’m glad you came.” 

Yeojin sucked in a breath. Her voice was softer from the last time she heard her. No sign of resentment, sadness or pain whatsoever. It stirs a mix of emotions in the pit of her stomach. Swirling in her body that she felt a little nauseous. The girl should be yelling and screaming at her. Cursing at her. 

But no. Yeojin knew she wasn’t like that. The girl always looked at things positively and with forgiveness. No matter how much something hurt her. 

No matter how much Yeojin hurt her.

“You were going to run away again, weren’t you?” 

Yeojin pursed her lips into a thin line and strayed her eyes away from the girl to look at the ocean. Of course she was going to call her out on her cowardness. That’s all Yeojin was. A coward. 

Struggling to find an excuse this time, Yeojin could only muster out a sheepish “N-no…”. Yeojin lies. She winces at herself for the lame reply but her mind was going haywire just standing close to the other girl who she avoided for almost a year now. All because of her selfishness and pride.

So what right did Yeojin have to be standing in front of her again? 

The purple hair girl smiles, her cheekbones raising up high that causes her eyes to form a crescent. If the other girl caught onto her lie, she never mentioned it as she pat the empty spot next to her on the bench. 

Yeojin reluctantly moved from her spot and sat down on the empty space. The feeling was all too familiar as Yeojin recalls sitting in this exact same bench, on the left side, a couple years back. Memories of them always coming here to this beach just to get away from the world. Just lost in each other without a care.

All that’s left now is a bitter taste in her mouth as she noticed they’re not sitting close together like they used to. Personal space was never a thing between the two as they always clung to each other by the side. Even on this bench their shoulders would still be touching. But now there’s a wide space between the two of them, as if the other had some sort of contagious disease. 

A sign of how much they grew apart. 

They both sat in silence, staring at the water in front of them as the waves continued to wash onto the shore and disappearing. 

Yeojin wanted the silence to end already but she couldn’t find words to start the conversation. So she continued to look around taking in the scenery she’s seen multiple times. Then she turned to look at the girl next to her who was staring straight ahead, her hands clasped together in her lap, and her eyes looking distant and dull. Almost lifeless. 

Yeojin frowns at how much she must have suffered. 

With the cold wind blowing back her hair, making her appear breathtaking and beautiful, Yeojin had to keep her eyes looking anywhere but her plump lips that were slightly chapped. The cold was becoming unbearable. 

Yeojin winced as the air pierced through her skin and snuggled into her jacket trying to find warmth, but raised an eyebrow when she realized the girl was wearing clothes definitely not appropriate for this weather. Who in their right mind thinks a black noodle dress with a white long sleeve underneath will suffice? 

“Aren’t you cold?” Yeojin asks worriedly. She began to take off her jacket.  _ Just like old times _ she thinks, but pauses when she feels a hand gently hold her arm so light that it feels nothing at all, like it didn’t feel real to be near her again. Yeojin froze in her seat. When was the last time she touched her?

Yeojin trails her eyes up the hand and up her arm until it lands on her dull dark brown orbs, swirling with a bunch of hidden emotions Yeojin couldn’t pinpoint, gazing at her with a small smile on her lips. Yeojin could feel her heartbeat pound against her chest. 

“It’s okay. I’m not cold.” The girl reassures her by patting Yeojin’s arm. Yeojin wordlessly nods and moves back to her original position. She didn’t question her any further. 

Silence engulfed the two of them again and Yeojin felt her nerves bugging her again. Her hands started to twitch inside her pockets and her breathing started to feel shallow. She started patting around her jackets and the pockets of her jeans, in a hurry to find something. The box that contained the item that helped ease Yeojin’s anxiety for quite a while. 

_ Damn where is it.  _ She mentally curses herself for forgetting to bring it. All she could find was a lighter. Where could she possibly leave her ci--

“I missed you Yeojin.” 

Yeojin paused, her nerves disappearing by hearing the serene voice, and quickly turned to look at her. With how fast Yeojin snapped her head up, it would be concerning to anyone, but the other girl didn’t reprimand her like she would have. 

The girl was still looking ahead of her. Yeojin looked away from her for a moment and closed her eyes and inhaled. She was unsure if she should vocalize her bottled up feelings. But what’s there to lose? She came here to make things right again. She hopes. 

“I missed you too, Choerry.” Once those words left her lips, Yeojin felt her body release some tension as if a bit of weight was lifted off from her shoulder. How badly she’s been wanting to tell the older girl those words but was too much of a coward to unblock her until a few months ago after Hyunjin messaged her something important. 

Choerry seemed to smile at that and giggled, which made Yeojin shrink in her seat shyly. Even her laugh still managed to do wonders to her heart. 

“What are we even doing?” Choerry asks between a fit of giggles. The awkwardness between them was unbearable and nothing was going to happen if the both of them stayed silent. 

Yeojin shrugs and sheepishly smiles, “Not sure.” 

They laughed together for a bit, the feeling a bit foreign to her but nonetheless welcomed as she missed these moments with Choerry. How she wishes she could turn back time to the days they were young and happy. 

Yeojin felt a pang in her heart as memories flashed in her head. How she caused everything to go downhill. What was once a small problem, later blew out of proportion all because Yeojin felt insecure. Jealous. Scared. The love that grew between them went down the drain as Yeojin accused Choerry of cheating because of a misunderstanding. 

She frowned and looked down at her hands where she could see a two inch scar on the palm. A painful reminder of her foolishness from throwing a broken vase, that pierced her skin, against the wall. She refused to listen to Choerry as her anger took control of her body more than being rational. Choerry’s painful sobs and begging were still heard in the back of her head, and the firm grip on her arm trying to get her to stay before she left their shared apartment with a slam of the door and away from Seoul. Away from Choerry. 

She did eventually find out from her sister, Haseul, that the rumor was not true. Choerry wasn’t cheating on her with Chaewon because Chaewon was already in a relationship with Hyejoo. Yeojin was unaware of this small detail but she was too much of a coward to come back and admit she was wrong. She’s always been a little bit too prideful. So she moved away in hopes of forgetting everything. 

Now things have changed and she regrets for letting pride get the best of her. Because now it’s too late and things will never go back the way it was. 

She was too late 

“I’m sorry.” Yeojin says, almost in a whisper that even the wind was louder than her voice. “All those words that I said and hurt you with… I wish I could take them back.” 

Yeojin knew it wouldn’t do much to erase what happened but it was the only thing she could say. How she deeply wished to go back in time. She did genuinely feel sorry and regretful during her time away. The countless times she laid in her bed awake staring at the ceiling of a cheap apartment she found in the countryside. 

The countless times she dreamed about being happy in each other's arms again lingers with her.

The countless times she would jolt awake from her constant nightmares as it only repeated one thing that seemed to haunt her, like some sort of punishment. Eventually this led to Yeojin not sleeping at all. Too afraid to hear the same screaming and crying from the girl who never left her heart once. 

And she wishes Choerry would just hurt her back as payback. Shove her down the same way she did back then and throw insults at her. To call her a liar and say she wasn’t sorry. Because Yeojin deserves it. But Choerry didn’t do that. 

Instead she placed her hand on top of Yeojin’s hand, clenched tightly next to her sides on the bench, and squeezed it, sending a nonverbal message that it was okay. 

Yeojin knew it wasn’t. She messed up big time and Yeojin wanted Choerry to tell her. But with the way Choerry was giving her a tender smile, she had no choice but to hold back from arguing with her. She wouldn’t win anyways. 

Choerry pulled her hand away, much to Yeojin’s dismay, and brought them back to her lap.

Silence fell upon them again and it was becoming unbearable and Yeojins head was a jumbled mess, unsure how to bring it up. There was a question that lingered in Yeojin’s head this whole time. 

“I want to know your feelings the day I turned around.” Yeojin winced at the weird wording of her question. It was a pretty stupid question considering the amount of times her sister reminded her of how much she fucked up, but Yeojin felt the need to know directly from Choerry so that she won’t make the same mistake again. So she can avoid making Choerry feel those emotions again. 

If she could.

From the corner of her eye, Yeojin could see Choerry tilt her head in thought, her bottom lip jutting out in a small pout. A habit she always had when she was in a deep thought. 

“It hurt me a lot.” 

_ I know _ .

“But I knew I couldn’t hate you forever.” Choerry turned to look at Yeojin. 

_ You should have.  _

“We were both immature back then and just fools in love.” Choerry giggled, bringing a hand to tuck a stray purple hair behind her ear and Yeojin followed her every move with her eyes. “We were each other's first loves so it was all new to us…” 

Yeojin felt her cheeks heat up at the slight mention of being each other's first relationship. It brought back good memories. The day Yeojin confessed and Choerry started punching her and whined because she planned to do it on the same day. The days where they started to live together in a shared apartment. The days where they would spend hours in the kitchen playing around instead of cooking dinner and setting off the fire alarm causing the other residents to evacuate. 

Then she left Choerry in their apartment and never came back the next day. And the next. Then it turned to weeks. Then to months. 

“But all of that doesn’t matter now that you’re here.” Choerry fully smiles this time. Her nose wrinkling as her smile reached her eyes and showed her canines. 

Yeojin smiled a little and felt a blush form on her cheeks. She looks away so the older girl doesn’t see. But that didn’t stop Choerry from teasing and cooing her that eventually led them to bicker. 

Their laughter died down until they stared into each other's eyes. The love in each other's eyes is still ever so present despite being away from each other for so long. Something stirs in the pit of Yeojin's stomach and bit her bottom lip nervously. 

“Have you…” Yeojin’s voice trailed off, unsure if she should be asking this question. 

“Been seeing other people?” Choerry finished. 

Yeojin tenses up. Damn, how does she manage to know what she’s about to say. She slowly nodded, feeling a little bit embarrassed and wary. Despite asking, she doesn’t know if she wants to hear the answer.

Choerry giggled behind her hand and shook her head. “Actually, no I haven't.” 

Yeojin released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She hates to admit it but she felt kind of relieved. She began to feel a little hopeful. 

“Honestly, I always wanted you to be my first and my last love.” 

The younger girl widened her eyes in surprise and stared at Choerry with shock. Choerry glanced at Yeojin at the corner of her eyes and grinned, “Too cheesy for you?” 

Yeojin feels her ears turn red before she begins sputtering out words, trying to come up with something to say but ends up with a jumbled mess. Choerry always caught Yeojin off guard whenever she got the chance to say those kinds of comments and it always ended up Yeojin becoming an embarrassed mess.

But her words gave Yeojin a little bit of hope. With a shaky voice, she opened her mouth. 

“Do you still love me?” Her voice shakes when the words she’s been dying to ask leaves her mouth.

Choerry cocks an eyebrow at her, “I should be asking you that.” 

Yeojin gulped, “If you still feel the same way… then do you… do you think that…?” Hope laced her voice. That seemed to be the only thing Yeojin has been holding on nowadays. Hope. Hope to see Choerry. Hope to be back together. Hope for things to go back to the way it were. Hope to get on one knee one day like she planned to. Just hope.

But Yeojin notices the way the other girls grin falters for a bit and looks away. But comes back to Yeojin before a sad smile appears on Choerry’s face. 

“You know we can’t.” She answered solemnly in a hushed voice. 

Yeojin felt a stab in her heart and closed her eyes. Of course. What was she expecting? Who was she to think they’d get back together the same day they meet for the first time after purposely avoiding her? She was foolish. 

Yeojin slumped back in her seat and stared at the ocean in front of her again. How she wishes it could just swallow her and take her away from this misery. There was silence between the two of them once more. She hears Choerry hum before slowly raising up from her seat. Yeojin followed her movement with curious eyes and raised an eyebrow. Is she going now? 

Choerry turned her head to look at Yeojin, “Can I take you somewhere?” 

The younger girl tilted her head confused. Where would Choerry possibly take her at this time? “Umm… Sure, I guess.” She shrugged and slowly stood up. 

Choerry smiled and brought a hand up, causing Yeojin to flinch. She laughed as Yeojin just stared at her hand warily like she was going to give her something weird again. 

“Why are you scared? It’s just my hand. Hold it.” She shakes her hand, urging the shorter girl to take it. 

Yeojin’s eyes flicker between Choerry’s hand and her face before she slowly wraps her fingers around Choerrys, their hand clasped together. Her cheeks began to feel warm holding her hand once again. How badly she missed this feeling for so long that she couldn’t contain the smile peeking from her lips. 

They walked for a bit, enjoying each other's presence until minutes later they reached a small gate that Choerry pushed open and entered. Yeojin just trailing right behind her. 

There was a pathway that went around and circled the area. Stones were placed around the grass with flowers surrounding every spot to give the place more color and more welcoming. 

If it weren’t for the light posts that lit the area, Yeojin would’ve thought this place was creepy as hell. The hand gripping hers squeezed her hand reminding her she wasn’t alone. There was no reason to be scared of this place. 

But she couldn’t help but feel a little bit uneasy. 

Yeojin looked around the place and frowned. “Why are we here?” 

It was an odd choice of place Choerry wanted to take her considering they came here maybe once or twice in their lives. 

The older girl shrugged, “To find closure.” 

Yeojin winced and closed her eyes. She felt like those words applied more to her than the both of them at the same time. But then again, Yeojin really did need closure. Choerry noticed her discomfort and squeezed her hand comfortingly before leading them down the path. Yeojin stared at her feet while they walked side by side, their hands swinging between each other. Choerry looked around the place with a small bounce to her step. 

Yeojin never understood how the other girl could still find positivity in everything even in just the smallest amount. But it was one of the things she admired from the older girl. It was because of Choerry that Yeojin pushed forward even at her lowest. 

They basked in the silence, occasional hushed whispers here in there which was basically unnecessary considering they were the only two occupants of the area. But they felt like they still needed to be respectful. 

Choerry looks to her side to flash a loving smile at their clasped hands. She always loved to hold Yeojin’s hands despite her protesting. The way their hands perfectly fit each other even though Choerry loved to make fun of how small Yeojins were. It was like two puzzle pieces finally being put together. It felt right having their hands intertwined, for Choerry’s to trace circles into the back of Yeojin's hand with her thumb. Everything felt ideal. She missed this feeling so much but she couldn’t stop the pang on the left side of her chest. “You know, I never stopped thinking about us.”

Yeojin pressed her lips into a thin line.  _ Neither did I. _

“I’m really sorry we can’t be back together though.” Choerry sadly admits for the second time. 

Yeojin deeply inhaled and came to terms to finally accept the truth. No matter how many times they’d say sorry to each other and their love for each other was still present, there were too many problems preventing them from getting back together. She nodded her head to show she understood. Or she hopes she understands. “It’s fine. Being here with you is enough for me.” 

And she means it. Because she can’t handle being away from Choerry any longer. 

But the way Choerrys eyes flickered some sort of unknown emotion made Yeojin feel wary.  _ What was that?  _ Before, she could figure out what's troubling the other girl, but today has been weird. It’s like she couldn’t read Choerry at all. But she pushed that feeling down quicker than it appeared. There’s nothing to worry about. 

“Thank you for accepting my apology.” Yeojin says sincerely. No matter how many times Choerry would forgive her, that guilt was still in the pit of her stomach and eating her up. 

“You know I could never stay mad at you forever.” Her tone was soft and sincere. She really does mean her words because Choerry knew Yeojin better than she knew herself. Yeojin was always hard on herself and she always figured out the reasons behind the things she did without Yeojin having to tell her. Yeojin always put up a front but Choerry could see right through it. 

Right now was one of those times. Choerry felt ashamed she was the reason behind it. But Yeojin won’t get the true closure she needs until she brings down her walls. 

And now was time. 

Yeojin’s footsteps slowed down when Choerry came to a stop just at the top of the hill where she could see the ocean view peeking between the trees. The view was breathtaking but it could never be compared to the girl next to her. 

Choerry walked to stand directly in front of her and clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head to the side with a smile. Her dress and hair blowing with the wind. The curve of her face lit white by the lamps around the place. Yeojin felt her breath stuck in her throat for the nth time today and stared in awe. 

The older girl glances up at the sky that was slowly turning a different hue. A sign of a new day approaching. A new day for the both of them. A new day for Yeojin to take a step in a different direction.

“Looks like it’s time for me to go.” Choerry says with a sad smile. 

The sun was starting to slowly rise from its slumber. Something Yeojin lacked. Yeojin purses her lips together as she hangs her head low. She wanted to spend more time with her.

_ Please. Don’t go. _

“Thank you for coming, Yeojin.” Yeojin felt a hand touch her face, gently bringing her head up to look directly at Choerry’s eyes, looking at her with appreciation but morphed into concern, closely seeing Yeojin’s very obvious dark circles. Yeojin could see the love in her eyes, because Choerry never stopped caring. It makes Yeojin more confused and question as to why Choerry rejected her offer of getting back together.

“You should get some rest.” Choerry rubs her cheekbones with her thumbs, gently massaging it. Yeojin melted into her touch.

_ Not yet. I can’t.  _

She closed her eyes and leaned her face against Choerry’s cold hand which felt almost nonexistent with how delicately she held her face, wishing for their time spent together was longer. Rest didn’t matter as long as she could spend more time with Choerry to make up for all the lost time. 

Time. She wished for more time. Wished for time to go back. 

“I wish to see you again, Yeojin.”

Yeojin chokes up from the fondness of her voice. Her breath hitches on the words that were afraid to leave the comfort of her lips, too afraid to hear the answer, “Where are you going, Choerry?” 

She felt the hairs of her cheek rise as a quick chaste kiss was placed against her skin, but didn’t receive an answer. Only the sound of leaves rustling when a light gush of wind blew against her. If it was even possible, Yeojin swore she could hear a faint ‘ _ I love you’ _ next to her ear.

“Where did you go?” Yeojin asks again, hoping to hear her voice again. 

Silence again and a cold wind blew past her again. 

“Choerry?” 

She hesitantly opened her eyes to look up to where the girl she loved, no, still in love, was standing. But there was no sight of her. Like she wasn’t there in the first place. 

Instead all there was, was a lingering light from the lamp post. 

And in front of her was a tombstone. 

Then it hit her. Yeojin clenched her fist as her body started to shake, finally starting to let go of all the emotions building inside of her. Before she knew it, tears erupted from ear eyes and broken sobs choked their way past her lips, wrecking her entire system at full force. 

Her walls were finally crumbling down. 

The feeling of regret hit in waves, like a punch to the gut each time her eyes read over the engravings right in front of her. But the reality finally settled into her mind and Yeojin thought of one thing. The one thing she has been holding on to.

Hope. 

Pressing the palms of her hands into her face in a futile attempt to stop the tears from falling onto the grass below her. She never got a chance to say it back. To say I love you one last time. 

“Why did you go.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did yall figure out all the hints before the ending? please dont kill me aha ha. 
> 
> anyways you have the option of either stopping here or go to the next chapter for the "alternative ending", it's up to you since i was indecisive if i should've ended the story on a happy ending or sad ending lmao. so i ended up with both and you choose what ending you want. 
> 
> also im leaving how choerry passed away up to you :]
> 
> twt: httphyewonz


	2. Alternative Ending: Meeting Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years later.

“Yeojin! One Caramel Frappuccino and two lattes!” A voice called behind the counter while setting down the said drinks. 

“Got it!” Yeojin hurriedly maneuvered around the tables to counter and placed the drinks on the tray carefully. She flashes the black hair girl behind the counter a smile, who in return grins back at her before turning around to continue with the other orders. 

Yeojin swiftly brings the orders to their respective owners with practiced ease and gives them a polite bow. 

She made her way back to the counter to grab a towel to wipe down the used tables. She’d rather get her cleaning duties done ahead of time so she could clock out as soon her shift was done. After all, today was important.

Wiping down the tables and pushing chairs back in their place, she glances up to see her two friends who were chattering and blatantly flirting, seeing as the brown hair girl cheeks were tainted a pretty shade of red in response to the ravenette who was leaning in close. They seemed to be lost in their own bubble and simply did not care about showing their affections out in public. 

On any other day, Yeojin would be gagging at their display of affection but she didn’t want to risk losing her job since the two girls were the owners of this small cafe. 

Coming to work for them came completely unexpected if Yeojin was being completely honest. She didn’t expect Jinsol and Jungeun to find her that fateful day a couple of years ago. But she knew that right after herself, the pair were the closest to the late girl. So, it was expected those two frequently came to visit the cemetery, and it just so happened they came across the distraught Yeojin. 

The following days afterwards were spent of Jinsol and Jungeun taking care of Yeojin as she was still having a harder time accepting the recent events. 

There were a lot of different reactions when her friends eventually found out she came back to Seoul. Most of them were shocked, especially Haseul since her sister never informed her of her return. But a couple, like Hyejoo and Sooyoung, were still having a hard time forgiving Yeojin. Not that she could blame them. But as Chaewon and Jiwoo reasoned with the two, they slowly changed their minds. Hyejoo would even ask Yeojin to vandalize walls (which Vivi reminds her time and time again it's against the law) with spray paint in hopes of getting her mind off things. 

Yeojin was thankful they forgave her and helped her get back on her feet. Especially Jungeun ,  who stayed home most of the time while Jinsol ran their cafe. She would help bring Yeojin out of her depressive episodes or random outbursts and tantrums in the middle of the night. 

But it still took awhile before Yeojin started to fully heal and manage on her own. She lives by herself now after finally convincing the couple she’s okay. Hell, she even agreed to their deal of working at their cafe just so they could stop holding her hostage. She needed a job anyway though, so it worked out just fine. 

“So, Yeojin.” Said girl perked her head up to see Jinsol leaning over the counter against her crossed arms. “Are you going to … you know.” She raised an eyebrow, silently sending a message. 

Yeojin blinked for a couple of seconds before she registered what the older girl was trying to imply. With a small smile she nodded her head remembering what today was. It was the first thing she thought of the moment she woke up and her eyes landed on the calendar right above her desk, the date circled many times with her purple marker. 

Today marks the third year of Choerry’s passing. 

Jinsol felt at ease seeing Yeojin smile, her eyes showing no signs of hurt or sadness when mentions of the girl were brought up. It pained her to see Yeojin, who was always so bright and energetic, so devoid of life. But she was happy to see Yeojin come to terms with herself eventually. 

“Are you going to go visit her after work? We can go together,” Yeojin suggested. 

The other girl shook her head and Yeojin tilted her head confused. “Me and Jungeun are meeting up with some business partners about expanding the cafe to other locations, so we already visited her early this morning.” She flashed a toothy smile. “Plus I figured it would be better if you had alone time.” 

Yeojin blushed a little, feeling touched the other girl knew her so well, and flashed Jinsol a grateful smile. 

“Hey ladies! As much as I enjoy seeing y’all smile, we’ve got orders.” A second voice spoke from behind Jinsol, her hands perched on her hips, head tilted to the side. Her tone was short but her eyes were warm nonetheless. 

Jinsol straightened up and turned around to wrap an arm around Jungeun and place a quick kiss on her cheek before returning to her work. 

“Ugh. Y’all are adorably disgusting.” The youngest commented, faking an overly exaggerated gag before breaking off into a snort.

Jungeun rolled her eyes before releasing a hearty laugh and reaching over to ruffle Yeojin’s hair. “One day you’ll find someone, little frog.” 

Yeojin scoffed at the nickname but she couldn’t say that she hated it. (Although, she wasn’t little anymore. Seriously, she grew a couple of inches over the years.)

Though, Yeojin couldn’t help but grimace a little. Find someone? It’d be a miracle if she found someone like Choerry. Shaking her head at the bitter thought, she brushed off Jungeun's comment. She didn’t mean for it to upset Yeojin, she was sure of it, so it was best not to dwell on it. 

They went back to work as more people started to come in and out of the cafe. It always got a little bit busy near closing time since customers rushed to get their favorite drinks, especially since the cafe had been increasing in popularity lately. 

Yeojin bowed and thanked a customer after handing him their drink and turned around with a smile. But it was quickly replaced with a squeal and a large gasp was heard. 

She felt the front of her shirt soak wet as the beverage was seeping through the cloth. Thankfully enough, the drink was cold. If it were hot she would’ve gotten a bad burn. Yeojin frowned as she shivered from the shock of the cold and the uncomfortable stick of her damp shirt against her skin. 

More than that, who the fuck would be drinking iced coffee during this time? The temperatures were already beginning to drop to the point where at least a jacket was needed to go out. There was only one person Yeojin knew who would do that but it was-

“Holy crap! I’m so sorry!”

At the squealed apology, Yeojin closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. There was no reason to get mad. It was just an accident. Yeah, an accident. An accident from a very stupid and triffling ass piece of--

_ Oh. _

She sucked in a breath when she opened her eyes and saw a concerned girl grabbing tissues and trying to pat dry her shirt. (Which wasn’t really helping but she appreciates the effort.) 

Even through the floundering of the girl in front of her, Yeojin found herself being filled with an air of familiarity. The soft angles of the girls' faces that were fixed in a state of mild embarrassment were utterly charming. Even her small frown that made her upper lip almost vanish completely made Yeojin do a double take. 

She knew that frown. She knew the playful pouts and the smiles those lips formed that made cheeks appear even rounder. 

The girl quickly adjusted her glasses that were slowly slipping down the slope of her nose and if not for the closeness of the two, Yeojin would have missed it. For a split second she saw a delicate and familiar freckle above the girl's right eye.

With the exception of her hair being a red tint, It reminded her strangely of-

“... Choerry?” Yeojin murmurs out.

The other girl stopped what she was doing and looked up to meet Yeojins eyes. Both of them simultaneously widened their eyes feeling some sort of shock run through their system, like they were drawn to each other. 

Like they know each other? 

“Umm… Pardon?” The girl questions. A little confused on why this person called her a fruit. Particularly, a fruit she didn’t even like.

Yeojin realizes her mistake and swallows the lump in her throat. She felt the embarrassment creep up her face in the form of a light blush. Of course the stranger wasn’t who she thought they were. It was impossible. But she couldn’t help but notice the (almost scary) similarities. She was practically the spitting image of her.

“Nothing. “ Yeojin shakes her head as she grabbed some tissues at a nearby table to pat herself dry. She was starting to feel shy with how a stranger (stranger? Yeah she’s just a stranger.) was just mindlessly patting the front of her body without a care. 

“I’m really sorry about your shirt.” The girl pouted, her bottom lip slightly jutting out. She ducks her head feeling guilty for not watching her surroundings. She was just so engrossed in the video of puppies on her phone that she didn’t realize who was in front of her. Plus the other girl was adorably short so--

“Well, that’s going to leave a stain.” Yeojin muttered under her breath staring down at her white t-shirt. Even her apron couldn’t save the impending doom her shirt had already suffered. 

The girl was able to hear it and felt ashamed. She fiddled with her hands, eyes shifting nervously. “Umm… Can I offer you to go shopping after work? I’ll buy you a new shirt!... That is, if you’re not too busy.” She shyly smiled. 

Yeojin raised an eyebrow at the offer. It seemed out of the ordinary to ask some stranger to go shopping with you just to buy a new shirt. Unfortunately, as much as she’d like to take that offer, she has other business to attend to after her shift. The girl can repay her some other day… if she does come across her again, that is. 

She opened her mouth to kindly decline but felt the wind get knocked out of her when an arm swung around her shoulders and a hip collided to her side. 

_ What the fu-- _

“She’d love to go! In fact her shift is just over!” 

Yeojin looked to her side and her eyes almost bulged out of its sockets to see Jungeun carrying a smug smile. She recognizes that smile from anywhere. It was one of the things Yeojin hates the most considering something absurd usually happens from a smirking Jungeun. 

Jungeun was plotting something again and it’s kind of alarming. But her smirk shifted to a soft smile and whispered to where only Yeojin could hear, “Trust me.” She patted her shoulder and pushed the smaller girl towards the staff room. 

She was about to retaliate that she has at least an hour left till her shift is done but with a glare that screamed  _ Go now,  _ Yeojin grumbles and lets out a huff before looking over her shoulder at the confused girl. She doesn’t understand what Jungeun is trying to do but whatever. Yeojin figures she’ll just go to the cemetery afterwards. 

“I’ll be right back.” Yeojin tells the girl. 

10 minutes passed and Yeojin finally walked out of the staff room, a bag slung over her shoulder and wearing a new staff shirt with a jacket over it. She didn’t want to walk around the store with an obvious coffee stain. 

She spots the other girl sitting at a table on her phone, next to where the spill accident occurred but she figured either Jinsol or Jungeun cleaned it up since the floor is clean. 

“Hey.” Yeojin spoke up once she stood next to her. 

The girl flinched in her seat, startled by Yeojin's appearance. She didn’t even hear her approach. She hastily stood up but banged her knee on the table in the process and winced in pain. Yeojin raised an eyebrow.

_ Damn she’s really clumsy.  _ Yeojin stared at her and felt a familiar warmth envelop her insides, the feeling was unusual but was welcomed nonetheless. She couldn’t help but bring her thoughts to Choerry. How this girl in front of her was clumsy just like her. Instead of feeling sad about the memories, she smiled fondly. 

“You okay?” Yeojin asks, bringing a hand to place on her arm. But slightly flinched when she felt a shock run through her fingers. 

The other girl nodded without releasing a huff before standing straight up, unaware of what's going on in Yeojins head. “Let’s go?” 

Yeojin stared at her hand for a moment before she nodded and followed the girl out of the cafe. She waved goodbye to her two friends behind the counter. 

The couple watched Yeojin and the stranger leave the confinements of the cafe and Jinsol turned to Jungeun. 

“Is there a reason you let Yeojin off work early?” She questions, nudging her with an elbow while drying off a mug with a towel.

Jungeun hummed and stuffed her hands in the front pockets of her apron, fiddling with something. Jinsol patiently waited for her lover to give her an answer, curious to what’s going on in her mind. 

Jungeun took out something from her pocket which she picked up a while ago after giving that stranger her drink. 

Jinsol cocks an eyebrow at the cherry stem in between Jungeun's fingers and looks up to see the smaller girl smiling, “I felt like Yeojin needed a friend.”   
  


“You know, I never caught your name.” Yeojin said as they walked side by side. Her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jackets. For some reason Yeojin was feeling a sense of deja vu. 

The girl next to her perked up at that and let out an exaggerated gasp before giggling, scratching the back of her neck bashfully. Yeojin smiled hearing her laugh. Feeling some sort of comfort from it despite only just meeting this stranger a couple of minutes ago. 

A cold wind blew past them and Yeojin felt the hairs on her neck rise up when she hears something faint next to her ear. 

_ I’ll always be with you. _

Yeojin glanced around. What was that?

“Oh right.” She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and flashes Yeojin a smile and tilts her head to the side.

“My name’s Choi Yerim.” 

Yeojin's breath hitched and came to an abrupt stop. The name rang in her ears and felt her skin begin to itch. It sounded oddly like...

Yerim lips formed into a frown and looked at the frozen girl confused. Was there something wrong? “You good?” 

The shorter girl snapped out of it and shook her head to get out of her trance. She sheepishly grinned and brought a hand up to scratch the side of her cheek. “Sorry. It’s just… your name is cute,” Yerim slightly blushed at the compliment and flashed a smile that made her eyes form into little crescents. “It also reminded me of a very close friend of mine.” Yeojin finishes off with a fond smile seeing Yerim flash her canines. 

Yerims lips formed into a small ‘o’, seemingly interested in who this friend was. “Oh really? Is this friend of yours nice? I hope she didn’t spill coffee on you like I did.” She giggled. 

Yeojin let out a laugh that made her eyes disappear. As a matter of fact, Choerry instead spilled a box of cockroaches on their first meeting. In the middle of her fit of laughter, she caught a flicker of light in the corner of her eye right behind Yerim’s shoulder. 

In the far distance perched on top of a hill is a lone cherry tree. 

Warmth spread through Yeojin's chest and holding back tears, happy tears, as she feels hope build up again. Yeojin gently smiled before her eyes shifted slightly to the side to look at the grinning face of Yerim, eyes twinkling under the light. 

“Yeah... she is amazing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> noticed how i didn't use past tense on that last sentence?  
> if you read this ending I hope you enjoyed it! Leave comments below :]
> 
> twt: @httphyewonz


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